Pure Hawke’s Bay, a lobby group representing Hawke’s Bay growers, exporters and farmers backed the GM Free plan rules adopted by the Hastings District Council in 2015.

Pure Hawke’s Bay chairman, and sheep and beef farmer Bruno Chambers says it’s a very exciting win after many years of unnecessary battle.

“We have worked for seven years to capture this opportunity for Hastings and the region. Being GM free gives us a competitive advantage to market our high-end agricultural products internationally. Many regions around the world are officially GM Free. Finally we can join them rather than being left in their wake.”

Hastings District Council was the first in New Zealand to adopt rules in the local plan to prohibit GM field trials and releases in the district. These rules are now in effect.

“It’s a tribute to the Council, which understood the economic opportunities and how crippling GM contamination could be for our high-value food producers,” said Mr Chambers.

“It is a huge pity that Federated Farmers put the Council, our farmers and our growers to such needless expense, but we are now focussed on how to make this opportunity work for all farmers.”

The region’s GM Free status was also put under threat last year by a proposed change to the Resource Management Act.

“We’ve fought all the way and had to take the issue to Parliament, to protect Hawke’s Bay’s right to decide,” said Mr Chambers.

“This has been a long and drawn out uphill battle so we are very happy with the outcome. It’s taken huge commitment from producers and Ngati Kahungunu, with whom we’ve stood shoulder to shoulder.”

One of New Zealand’s largest growers and exporters and member of Pure Hawke’s Bay, John Bostock says the win is huge for everyone in Hawke’s Bay.

“Some of the world’s most celebrated food regions – Tuscany, Provence, Bordeaux – are officially GM Free. That’s the club we want to be part of.”, says Mr Bostock

“This is an opportunity to promote Hawke’s Bay internationally with real credibility. Hawke’s Bay is the Tuscany of New Zealand and now we can promote ourselves on par – as a premium growing region.

“We have one of the most pure, fertile growing areas in the world and some of the most valuable agricultural land in New Zealand. We can produce top quality food products – so we need to play to this strength and embrace our GM Free status. Hawke’s Bay is leading the way for the rest of the country.”

Hastings is not the only council to be taking this path. Auckland City, Whangarei and the Far North together now make up a large official GM Free region, after more than a decade of planning and community consultation.

]]>French politicians back mandatory labelling of GM feed and pesticide usehttp://purehawkesbay.org/french-politicians-back-mandatory-labelling-of-gm-feed-and-pesticide-use/
Fri, 08 Jun 2018 01:39:48 +0000http://purehawkesbay.org/?p=1520May 2018:After a week of debates on the country’s Agriculture and Food Bill, French politicians have backed mandatory labelling for GM animal feed and pesticide use on fruit and vegetables but rejected measures to stop marketing unhealthy foods to children.

Germany expects to see record Non-GMO food sales http://purehawkesbay.org/germany-expects-to-see-record-non-gmo-food-sales/
Fri, 08 Jun 2018 01:31:21 +0000http://purehawkesbay.org/?p=1516June 2018: Demand in Germany for Non-GMO milk and dairy products, eggs and poultry continues to grow, according to Feed Navigator. This year, sales of dairy, poultry and egg products that are certified with a government-backed Non-GMO food label are expected to reach food 7 bn Euro. – a 27% increase from 2017, says the German Association of Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG).

Following in the footsteps of other fellow seasoned food companies including Campbell Soup (CPB, +2.25%) and General Mills (GIS, +2.46%), the fruit cup and canned goods titan announced in a Tuesday press release that it too was jumping on the band wagon and converting to non-BPA packaging.

San Francisco-based Del Monte said it would move away from BPA packaging starting with the company’s fruit and tomato products, and nearly 100% of its vegetable products in May.

In recent years, consumers have clamored over the presence of BPA, or Bisphenol A, in bottles and food packaging due to studies which have shown that the chemical, which is often used to harden plastic and coat metal cans, can lead to health problems including cancer and brain damage. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration however says that BPA at current levels is safe.

Del Monte also announced that it would move away from GMO, or genetically modified crops. The company also announced Tuesday that not only would vegetables, fruit cups and most tomato products be non-GMO, so will added ingredients used as sweeteners and soybeans. About 154 products will be non-GMO, and they will be labelled as such. Granted, the benefits and downsides of GMO have long been debated.

“These moves, which represent a majority of the company’s products, come as a direct response and commitment towards meeting the evolving preferences of many consumers,” Del Monte’s press release stated.

Meanwhile, Campbell Soup announced that it would complete its transition to BPA-free cans by mid-2017 on Monday, and move toward cans made with acrylic- or polyester-based lining instead

]]>Dannon reaching non-GMO milestones to achieve company pledgehttp://purehawkesbay.org/dannon-reaching-non-gmo-milestones-to-achieve-company-pledge/
Thu, 31 Aug 2017 11:39:59 +0000http://purehawkesbay.org/?p=1501Leading U.S. yogurt maker Dannon is moving according to plan on its pledge to source non-GMO ingredients for its products and to use milk from non-GMO fed cows. The company reached a significant milestone recently, achieving Non-GMO Project verification of several Dannon yogurt and “Danimals” smoothie products.

In 2016, Dannon announced its ambitious “Dannon Pledge,” which included commitments to use natural, non-GMO ingredients in its yogurt products, source non-GMO feed for its dairy cows, provide GMO transparency to consumers, and use more sustainable agriculture practices in its milk supply.

One of the biggest challenges was said to be sourcing enough non-GMO feed to meet the needs of Dannon’s dairy producers. An estimated 90 percent of feed produced in the U.S. is derived from genetically modified crops such as corn, soy, and alfalfa. There were doubts that enough non-GMO feed was available. Dannon CEO Mariano Lozano had described the feed initiative as a “massive undertaking,” involving the conversion of an estimated 80,000 acres to non-GMO feed crops.

“It seemed at the time it would be a challenge because we hadn’t done it before,” says Michael Neuwirth, Dannon’s senior director of external communication. “We had to use creativity, insights, and resources to find solutions.”

Dannon used a combination of approaches including purchasing non-GMO feed on the open market, using feed supplies of their own farmers, and finding farmers who grow non-GMO feed grains.

One of Dannon’s largest milk suppliers, Kansas-based McCarty Family Farms, successfully worked with its farm partners and had other farmers offer to sell them non-GMO feed.

“Thus far the challenges associated with sourcing non-GMO feed have been few and far between,” said Ken McCarty, co-owner and manager of McCarty Family Farms, a few months ago.

But Dannon will face another challenge next year when it moves its Oikos Greek yogurt products to non-GMO production because Greek yogurt uses three times as much milk as traditional yogurt.

Still, Neuwirth is confident. “We now have the benefit of figuring out the feed issue for Danimals and Dannon. We are more experienced.”

Sourcing milk from non-GMO fed cows separates Dannon from its biggest competitor, Chobani, which uses non-GMO ingredients but not non-GMO feed. Chobani announced a commitment to source non-GMO feed in 2014 but has not achieved that goal.

Non-GMO Project verification

Using non-GMO feed is one of the requirements for Non-GMO Project verification, which Dannon recently achieved for several products. These include Dannon Whole Milk Fruit Yogurt in eight flavors, Dannon Whole Milk Plain Yogurt in quart containers, and Danimals Smoothies in six flavors.

“We’ve been learning the process as we’ve progressed. We have a sophisticated process but we have been pleased with the process. Segregation was the most important thing, from the seed to the cup.”

Dannon had to install stainless steel storage tanks to keep non-GMO milk segregated from other milk supplies. The company also replaced GMO-risk beet sugar with cane sugar and substituted some preservatives such as potassium sorbate and malic acid with lemon juice concentrate to simplify the ingredients for a “cleaner” label.

Dannon is well on its way to achieving its Pledge goals. By the end of this year, all Dannon brand products will contain only non-GMO ingredients and will be made with milk from cows fed non-GMO feed. Products from the Oikos and Danimals brands will follow by the end of 2018. These three brands represent about half of Dannon’s U.S. sales volume. According to Neuwirth, Dannon’s market share has increased since the company announced the Pledge last year.

Another aspect of Dannon’s Pledge is GMO transparency. Since the end of 2016, Dannon has started labeling all of its products containing GMO ingredients. These products contain the label statement “Partially produced with genetic engineering.”

Last year, several major agriculture groups, including the National Milk Producers Federation, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, and others sent a letter to Dannon criticizing the company’s pledge about their non-GMO commitment.

Dannon defended its stance. “We value open discussions and strive to be transparent with consumers about what matters to them,” Neuwirth says. “We’ve been clear about our belief that the currently approved GMOs are safe. We also believe we can promote advanced sustainable practices with non-GMO crops as well.”

Further, Neuwirth says the Dannon Pledge is “about doing right by our consumers and farmers and also our business. It’s helping us provide more options to shoppers, and they recognize and appreciate that and are responding to it. It’s been a great journey for us.”

]]>NZMP Launches its First Ingredients in North America to Meet the Non-GMO Project Standardhttp://purehawkesbay.org/nzmp-launches-its-first-ingredients-in-north-america-to-meet-the-non-gmo-project-standard/
Fri, 12 May 2017 00:23:52 +0000http://purehawkesbay.org/?p=1493NZMP, Fonterra’s global dairy ingredients brand, has launched a range of dairy ingredients to help North American food and beverage manufacturers address consumer demand for food without genetically modified ingredients and information about where their food comes from.

The new NZMP ingredient range meets the Non-GMO Project Standard, North America’s most trusted and recognized seal in non-GMO products. Manufacturers can use a range of NZMP ingredients for their own Non-GMO Project Standard Verified products [1].

Joe Coote, Regional President of Ingredients Americas, said, “New Zealand is well recognized for its unique pasture-raised farming practices and regulatory control of GMOs. This new NZMP product range
allows food and beverage manufacturers to leverage both the Non-GMO Project claim and the New Zealand grass-fed advantage in a way that’s highly relevant to US consumers.”

Mr. Coote says US consumers increasingly want to know where their food comes from and how it was made.

“Research shows that over half of US protein consumers and more than a third of US dairy product consumers are ‘very interested’ in a non-GMO claim. Forty percent of consumers are also willing to pay a premium for dairy products with a non-GMO claim [2].”

NZMP worked with the Non-GMO Project because it is widely recognised by consumers and provides robust standards.

The Non-GMO Project Verified seal is the fastest growing label in the natural products industry, representing $19.2 billion in annual sales. It already appears on 43,000 verified products and is among the most trusted non-GMO labels for consumers [3].

“North American food and beverage manufacturers have been using NZMP ingredients for decades and value our deep dairy expertise. This expertise, coupled with a widely recognized non-GMO product claim, is a powerful offering for manufacturers, helping them to differentiate from competitors, and help to increase market share and margins,” says Mr. Coote.

About the Non-GMO Project
The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization committed to preserving and building sources of non-GMO products, educating consumers and providing verified non-GMO choices.

Non-GMO Project requirements and NZMP:
The Standard requires compliance with ingredients, additives, and inputs; and that they do not contain, are not derived from, and are not produced with the help of GMOs.

The Non-GMO Project has required limits on feed which may come from genetically modified sources (less than 5%).

To ensure the cows receive adequate nutrition throughout the year, non-New Zealand supplementary feed, which may be classified as GM risk, is sometimes used. This usage is strictly monitored to ensure it meets Non-GMO Project Standards and the range is sourced exclusively from selected New Zealand farms to ensure that verification can be applied to a specific product line. These supplementary feeds make up less than 2% of the total ration that our cows in New Zealand consume on average.
Our Non-GMO Project Verification is independently verified and confirmed by Where Food Comes From, Inc. For further information on the Non-GMO Project go to www.nongmoproject.org.

About NZMP
NZMP is the business to business dairy ingredients brand of Fonterra. Trusted globally, NZMP ingredients are sold in more than 100 countries and can be found at the heart of some of the world’s most famous food and nutrition brands. NZMP has one of the broadest ranges of ingredients
in the dairy industry, providing hundreds of solutions to meet the needs of customers every day.

Backed by Fonterra’s New Zealand grass-fed farming heritage and expertise, world-class processing and leading quality standards, NZMP ingredients deliver real market advantage, trusted for their high
performance and exceptional quality.

About Fonterra
Fonterra is a global leader in dairy nutrition – the preferred supplier of dairy ingredients to many of the world’s leading food companies. Fonterra is a farmer-owned co-operative and the largest processor of
milk in the world. It is one of the world’s largest investors in dairy research and innovation, drawing on generations of dairy expertise to produce more than two million tonnes of dairy ingredients, value added
dairy ingredients, specialty ingredients, and consumer products globally.

[1] NZMP Non-GMO Project Verified ingredients meet the Non-GMO Project Standard. In order for food and beverage manufacturers to claim Non-GMO Project Verification on their products, they will need to undertake the process of gaining certification according to the Non-GMO Project Standard.

[2] Based on nationally representative samples of 318 consumers of dairy and dairy based products, and who purchase/consume dairy/dairy-based products and 311 consumers that regularly consume at least one type of protein enriched products (protein beverages/shakes, protein powders, bars, etc.). Source: NZMP Consumer Research conducted by ABN Impact (2016 October, among USA consumers)

]]>Farmers rise to GE-free cheese demandhttp://purehawkesbay.org/farmers-rise-to-ge-free-cheese-demand/
Fri, 12 May 2017 00:18:34 +0000http://purehawkesbay.org/?p=1491A group of farmer shareholders in the European co-op FrieslandCampina will start producing milk without using genetically engineered animal feed.

The few hundred farmers living near two FrieslandCampina cheese plants in Germany will participate in the pilot project. They will get a premium price for the GE-free milk, to be made into cheese for the German market.

The products will conform to the VLOG standard set by a German association responsible for certifying products and issuing the Ohne Gentechnik label. The VLOG association was founded in 2010 and is recognised by the German government.

A number of FrieslandCampina dairy farmers in Germany are already producing milk bearing the Ohne Gentechnik label for Landliebe products.

FrieslandCampina says the move will capitalise on the growing demand from German supermarkets for foodstuffs produced without any genetic engineering in the production chain.

A few hundred member dairy farmers in the vicinity of the cheese plants in Born and Workum have the opportunity to participate in the pilot. These may give their cows only feed that meets the VLOG criteria.

“It is of major importance that no use is made of feed produced with or from genetically modified organisms, like much soy meal coming from the US,” the co-op says.

“Locally grown roughage, such as grass and maize, which is by far the most important feed for cows, does meet the VLOG criteria. Before the milk may be used in products featuring the VLOG label, the cows must have been fed in conformity with the VLOG criteria for three months.”

As a result of the higher feed costs at the farms, and higher logistic and production costs, cheese with the VLOG label costs more than regular cheese. Participating dairy farmers will receive an extra $1.59/100 kgMS on top of the

FrieslandCampina guaranteed price for farm milk to compensate for the higher feed costs.

FrieslandCampina says its cheese plants in Born and Workum (the Netherlands) will be prepared for separate processing of the different milk flows.

On genetic modification, the co-op says it remains open to “research, innovation, basic materials and products in which, in a responsible way, use is made of genetic modification proven safe and approved as such by the responsible authorities”.

]]>China: Crushing blow to soy processors as Chinese grow wary on GMOhttp://purehawkesbay.org/china-crushing-blow-to-soy-processors-as-chinese-grow-wary-on-gmo/
Sun, 30 Apr 2017 22:00:36 +0000http://purehawkesbay.org/?p=1486A Chinese consumer backlash against genetically modified (GMO) crops is beginning to dent demand for soy oil, the nation’s main cooking oil, and could spell crisis for the multi-billion-dollar crushing industry, which depends on GMO soybeans from the United States and elsewhere.

Soyoil sales account for about 36 percent of cooking oils used in Chinese kitchens, more than three times the next highest, and most of it is made from imported soybeans, which are nearly all genetically modified.

The Chinese government says GM foods are as safe as conventional foods, but wealthier urban consumers are replacing soyoil with sunflower, peanut or sesame, all free of biotech raw materials.

A Nielsen survey last year showed about 70 percent of consumers in China limited or avoided at least some foods or ingredients, compared with a global average of 64 percent, with 57 percent naming GMOs as undesirable.

“Everyone says soyoil has GMOs,” said Mr Liu, a 70-year-old Beijinger, shopping with his wife in Walmart. “Better not eat too much. Apparently they’re not safe. It’s like those hormones. I’m just as afraid of eating GMOs as hormones.”

“Non-GMO oil is gradually replacing (soy oil),” said Johnny An, supply chain director at food-service firm Aramark, which serves meals in banks, government offices and schools in more than 60 Chinese cities.

A few years ago, 10-20 percent of Aramark’s customers asked for GMO-free oil, he said. Now it’s more than half.

The mood is causing headaches for crushers, said Paul Burke, Asia director at the U.S. Soybean Export Council, forcing them to find new markets for their soyoil, though it had not yet had a noticeable impact on bean imports, as demand for soymeal used for animal feed, the larger byproduct of soybean crush, is still robust as China expands its livestock industry.

PREMIUM PRODUCT

The Nielsen survey found that more than four in five Chinese shoppers would be prepared to pay more for GMO-free products, and a 5-litre bottle of GM-free soy oil already sells at a 20 percent premium to GMO oil, but that isn’t translating into a boon for the nation’s soybean crushers.

China is the world’s top soyoil consumer – it will use 16 million tonnes this year – but the crushers rely on the United States and Brazil, which grow GM-soybeans, for 86 percent of China’s 84 million tonnes of soybean imports.

In China, which does not permit planting of GMO soybeans, labor costs are high and productivity low on small farms, making non-GMO beans costly to grow. They sell for a third more than non-GMO beans planted elsewhere.

Processors such as China Agri Industries, a unit of food and grains trader COFCO and one of the country’s top crushers, told Reuters it needs to improve its sourcing of non-GMO materials, to meet “escalating market demand”.

In the meantime, processors are losing money as increased competition with other edible oils and a ballooning glut has pushed soyoil futures in China down 18 percent so far this year to multi-year lows.

Some crushers are taking radical steps to find more GMO-free beans.

Henan Sunshine Oils and Fats wants to buy as much as 15,000 hectares of land in Ukraine to grow and process crops such as non-GMO soybeans, rapeseed and sunflowers, said Yang Renyi, group vice-president and general manager of the international affairs department.

That would be a very large plot; in the United States, the largest farms average around 1,052 hectares.

Yang’s team made two trips to Ukraine last year to look into the feasibility of producing, storing and processing oilseeds there.

“If we managed to get a large area of land to grow oilseeds, we possibly will spend at least 200-300 million yuan there,” said Yang.

Non-GMO oils – mainly rapeseed and sesame – already account for a fifth of the firm’s sales since it started marketing the new offering late last year, he added.

SHAKEN FAITH

The shift in attitude against GMOs in China has been fueled by social media and campaigning by high-profile personalities.

But years of food scares have shaken consumers’ faith in Beijing’s ability to guarantee the safety of the nation’s food supply.

Cooking oil is a particularly sensitive topic after a scandal over the use of recycled oil known as gutter oil, a few years ago, so shoppers are wary.

“Before everyone said soybean oil has GMOs, now the advertising is all about non-GMO soyoil. But we still don’t buy it,” said Maxine Li, a 28-year old bank worker, shopping at the same Walmart. “We think peanut oil is a bit healthier.”

(Reporting by Dominique Patton. Additional reporting by Beijing Newsroom; editing by Josephine Mason and Will Waterman)

]]>Progress for GM Free Regionshttp://purehawkesbay.org/win-for-gm-free-regions/
Tue, 04 Apr 2017 20:05:12 +0000http://purehawkesbay.org/?p=1480Media Release: Hawke’s Bay exporters, growers and farmers who have worked hard to protect the region’s GM free status welcome the environment minister’s back down from controversial amendments to the RMA he wants to take away the regions’ right to make their own decisions on GMOs.

Hawke’s Bay’s ability to establish a GM Free food producing zone under local plans has been shielded following last minute changes to the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill.

An amendment negotiated by the Maori Party exempts GM crops from the scope of new ministerial powers overriding local decision-making.

A further clause – introduced by the Government after public consultation on the Bill – that would give the minister a second route to impose GM releases on the regions has been deleted.

Pure Hawke’s Bay President, Bruno Chambers says the best outcome for the regions would have been the deletion of 360D.

“While the exemption is not as wide as what Pure Hawke’s Bay has called for, the exemption provides some protection against Wellington imposing GMOs on our region. “

The exemption agreed to by the Maori Party and the Government covers the growing of GM crops.

Marama Fox, who sponsored the amendment, told Parliament that:

“The Maori Party supports these amendments on the understanding that, as negotiated with the Government, they preserve the regions’ ability under local plans to regulate all types of GM crops in their territories including forestry and grasses and any activities involving the growing of GM crops whether for commercial or other purposes”

It will mean that the Government cannot override the rules prohibiting outoor activities involving GM crops on Hawke’s Bay and other regions using those powers.

One of New Zealand’s largest growers, John Bostock says this is a victory for the GM Free’s campaign.

“We are working hard to protect Hawke’s Bays GM Free status because it is such a huge economic opportunity for our high value agricultural economy.”

We acknowledge the Maori Party’s efforts to secure some protection, against a minister who is determined to override our local decisionmaking, despite the clear market advantages that GM free status offers.

Pure Hawke’s Bay also appreciates the support of all other political parties – Labour, United Future, New Zealand First, the Greens and Act – who have been vocal in their defense of local democracy and GM Free zones in particular.

This has been a long and unnecessary battle with Wellington, says Chambers. But Parliament has made clear to the current minister – and put future ones on notice – how undemocractic these powers are and that the regions should be able to make their own calls on issues that have significant impacts on local economies and environments – such as GM agriculture.

Although the exemption does not extend to GM livestock, the new ministerial powers do not per se curtail the region’s ability to prohibit livestock farming of GM animals.

The minister of the day would still have to introduce rules that prevent councils from regulating GM livestock farming under their local plans.

“That is a political fight any government would be foolhardy to pick, given the huge backing from the Hawke’s Bay food export economy and the wider community”, says Pure Hawke’s Bay chairman, Bruno Chambers

“Hastings District Council can be confident that the plan rules that protect the district’s GM Free food producer status are safe from interference by the environment minister and s360D,” says Chambers.

Notes

The full text of the exemption is set out in SOP 281, available at: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2015/0101/latest/versions.aspx

The proposed exemption does not affect what rules councils can introduce on GMO. It limits what the minister of the day could rule on, were he/she to use the powers.

ZHAODONG, China—The Huiji Hotpot restaurant is a local favorite here, where diners boil meat and vegetables in cauldrons of broth—comfort food to gird against the subzero winter in this far northern farming community.

A couple of years ago customers started to quiz manager Wu Xiaofeng: Did his restaurant use oil made with genetically modified soybeans in its kitchen? He hung a sign next to Huiji Hotpot’s cash register, pledging no.

“We felt it was better just to tell them not to worry,” Mr. Wu said.

Such worries aren’t going away soon.

The opposition to genetically altered food and grains in China has been brought to the forefront by China National Chemical Corp.’s $43 billion deal to buy Swiss agro-giant Syngenta AG, a leading producer of genetically engineered seeds. The ChemChina deal would be by far China’s biggest-ever foreign acquisition.

While China doesn’t currently allow planting of such seeds for grains like soybeans, many in the agriculture business expect that to gradually change once the Syngenta acquisition clears regulatory hurdles, expected later this year.

Any changes could face resistance from local farmers and other Chinese. “All we know is that it’s not natural,” said Li Shubin, who grows corn on his family’s 3-acre plot in Changfu village, near Zhaodong. His farmhouse is heated from an oven that burns dried cobs from the field. “There could be problems with the food’s safety, so if that’s the case we wouldn’t dare use it.”

Fear of genetically modified grains stems in part from wide distrust of China’s food industry, where scandals killed or sickened thousands. In one of the worst, tainted milk and baby formula sickened nearly 300,000 children, and killed six, in 2008.

The U.S. government, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and even some Chinese leaders say GMO crops are safe. Such products have become common in the U.S. and other countries.

Proponents say the high-tech seeds boost farm yields—a priority for the government as it looks to feed a billion-plus population. Industry executives say they’re needed as part of broad reforms to boost harvests and avoid more imports.